hot pots


Today I'm sharing another quilt from Nik at the cotton patch. You can get this as a kit which includes all the fabrics to make the full quilt (except wadding)

This one is made using the tumbler die, and it's a great departure from the super simple squares, but still being perfectly beginner friendly. I'd love to see this pattern made for a baby or toddler using novelty fabrics - like an I-spy quilt. I can imagine it being a lot of fun spending hours searching for all of the different animals and things. When my son was small he had an I-spy quilt and it was one of our favourite ways to spend quiet time, snuggled on the sofa with me searching for all of the different pictures.

The cotton patch have also put together a great downloadable guide on using the big shot - you can get your copy by clicking here!

fun with tumblers



The past week I've been playing a little bit with the 4" tumbler die (657616). This die is great for using with charm packs, you can cut a single tumbler out of each charm square with just a little bit of waste. It's also one of the cheaper dies that you can get, priced at less than £15.

I do think it's one of those shapes that you might overlook, because unlike a half square triangle or a square you can't use it with other dies to make fancy shapes. But it's actually a die that you're likely to pull out again and again.

I pieced these tumblers together in their expected setting for a fast cushion cover (which isn't quite finished...bear with me, I've had a busy week!)

And then these tumblers I put together in a slightly different way and ended up with a dresden plate (again, not quite finished!).

Want to know how?

Here you go!


For a full circle you need to cut 14 tumblers. I also cut a further 7 tumblers to make additional 'petals' for an extra layer.

fold each tumbler right sides together and sew a 1/4" seam along the top edge

chain piece this step to speed things up

Turn out the right way and poke the point with a stiletto or knitting needle/chop stick to make it pointy

press flat...

Sew 14 of your 'petals' into a circle. Press the seams so they all go in the same direction, and carefully pin in the centre of a background square (I cut a 20" background square from white fabric, and folded it into quarters so I could centre the block easily). I also added additional petals around the circle, just popping them under the circle and pinning into place.

Using a large dinner plate as a template cut a circle from cardboard (my circle is 11.5" in diameter). Then cut a circle from fabric 1/2" larger than the template (all the way round). Press the fabric all the way around the template. Spray starch is useful here, it will give you a nice crisp edge.

Make sure it's even all the way round

Remove the template carefully and pin to the centre of your dresden plate circle.

Applique all the way around the dresden plate - making sure all the petals (including the additional second layer ones) are stitched down, and all the way around the centre circle too. I hand stitched mine, but you could use the sewing machine for speed.

And there you have it! A completely different look from the same tumbler die!